SADIE SADS "Angora" (Japan)

SADIE SADS "Angora" 7" (1984) Following one of my all-time favorite Japanese singles is ...another one of my all-time favorite Japanese singles; namely Sadie Sads debut release "Angora"! This truly essential weirdo-classic was released in 1984 on the Wechselbalg label, a subdivision of Telegraph Records run by Genet of Auto-Mod fame which put out a great number of great releases by legendary post-punk and goth(y) bands such as G-Schmitt, Nubile and Sarasvati. I must confess that it did take a while (at least for me) to fully digest "Angora", causing infinite amounts of headscratching upon first encountering it on the "Revenge of Wechselbalg" compilation. Indeed, just the short intro is of such a monumental strangeness that hearing it is like encountering some kind of extraterrestial entity - confusing, intriguing, scary perhaps or possibly disgusting and/or delightful. Or all of the above! But at the heart of the tune is the hypnotic main riff. Propelled by a thunderous start/stop bass-line and a slightly muddled guitar dissonantly scratching away; "Angora" jerkily pummels its way forward, bizarrely enough managing to create a most peculiar Twilight Zone-groove of its very own. But the most singular thing about this song (and about this band) is of course the vocals of frontman Sad. Sounding like a bag-lady out of hell, Sad's voice waivers between ridiculously over-the-top theatralics and banshee-like screes - never has the fine line between genious and retardation been so beautifully blurred. Another highlight to take note of is the fabulous guitar solo courtesy of guitarist Igarashi - actually more of an anti-guitar solo, pushed far back in the mix and without any discernible notes being played. Just amazing! Contrasting against the focused riffage of "Angora" is the hodge-podge of B-side "i d". Essentially two not-really-finished songs combined into one, the tune intercuts between a metal-bashing percussive section (sounding like a free-form take on Zeitlich Vergelter) and a repetitive post-punk dirge tinged with gothic overtones. Although "i d" definitely has its moments, I can't shake the feeling that it was somewhat hastily thrown together to fill out the flipside of the record. Sadie Sads followed up this single with their equally brilliant record ARTefact "Box With Little Doll" in 1985. Not only one of the most intriguing and innovative records of its time (Japanese or otherwise) but also one of the most lavishly (and outlandishly) packaged ones. After a valiant but, in my opinion, failed attempt at remixing "Angora" into a tribal semi-dub for their "Angora.D" twelve-inch, the band disintegrated into Sads - more or less a solo vehicle for vocalist Sad to pursue a more dance-oriented sound (a path also wandered by labelmates Nubile and Sodom ...not to mention some of Genet's various post-Auto-Mod outfits). For those interested in learning more about Sadie Sads I can wholeheartedly recommend a visit to Junk Church - an official fanpage for the band. Although sadly no longer updated, it's jam-packed with information, pictures and history of the band. download